Post by GordonG on Dec 21, 2017 22:26:56 GMT -5
1. It's pretty clear now that Eli is open to the idea of waiving his no-trade clause. I'm sorry if you have answered this already, but what kind of return could the Giants get from a team that is close but a QB like Eli Manning away from being a contender and challenging for a Super Bowl?
I don’t think Eli ever said he’d waive the no-trade clause; in fact, just the opposite. I also don’t think the Giants desire to trade him contrary to what you might be reading elsewhere so I really haven’t given thought as to what he might being in return if he were to be traded. It would depend on the team, where they are drafting, etc.
2. Just curious Pat... Seeing how the fans are not coming to home games or selling their tickets, does the amount of media covering the team decline too? Is the post-game locker room much less crowded with reporters like yourself due to our poor season?
At the beginning of the year, I used to bemoan how crowded (and noisy) the Giants press room got, particularly with all the TV people that showed up. Now not so much so as with the Jets making a season out of it, and with Odell Beckham Jr. on injured reserve, it hasn’t been as bad during the week.
As for gamedays, I can remember just one instance—a playoff game in 2011—when the MetLife Stadium press box was filled to capacity. I will tell you this Not everyone in the press box is a reporter. There are scouts, league officials, the visiting team’s PR staff, the home team’s staff, and other gameday personnel who get a seat in the press box. there are others who get seats in the booths that are part of the press box as well—broadcast teams, owners, etc. And the photographers and camera folks are part of the press contingency that shows up in the locker room, but you don’t usually see them until after the game.
What I’m saying is it’s hard to answer this question because there are so many variables.
3. What is the atmosphere in the locker room?
Good, believe it or not. Hate to say this, but I’ve thought ever since McAdoo was fired, the atmosphere has improved if just a bit. The players seem to enjoy playing for Spags, so there’s that in a lost season. No one is happy with the losing, mind you, but I don’t’ sense that players are walking around like zombies which might have been the case earlier in the year.
4. Do any of the backup offensive linemen show promise?
If you consider Brett Jones and DJ Fluker as backups since they weren’t starters at the beginning of the year, yeah, those guys showed promise and I can see them perhaps starting next year. I’ve also heard positive things about Chad Wheeler, though the knock on him is he has to get stronger, which I think he will.
The wild card here is with a new coaching staff coming in, we really don’t know what they’re going to be asked to do so while they might look good/bad in this current system, who’s to say it won’t change? My gut feeling though is they’ll redo some of the backup depth on that unit.
5. Are any back up players truly taking advantage of the opportunity to be playing.
Wayne Gallman comes to mind. I have a story coming out on him, actually—super nice kid and someone who I predicted (correctly) the Giants would draft in the fourth round after getting a tip from UKGiantsFan to look at his tape.
Otherwise, I can see the effort in the young players but let’s not confuse effort with talent. There are guys who try so dang hard, but who don’t have the talent level necessary to be on an NFL roster (which is why they were scooped off the waiver wire). But again, I have no issues with the effort.
6. Have many players "mailed it in " and are just going through the motions waiting for the new regime? We are limited to what tv cameras show us but looks like JPP and Vernon are avoiding contact and going at 50%.
Both Pierre-Paul and Vernon are banged up—I honestly don’t know how they even make it out there each week. Vernon has been dealing with some clear issues beyond his ankle that have robbed him of some of his skill set. And you can’t tell me his high ankle sprain from earlier in the year is 100 percent because I won’t believe it. So I think you have to factor that into the equation. Same with Pierre-Paul—knee, hand, and who knows what else he’s got going on. So no, I do not believe either of those guys are mailing it in. I think their respective injuries are limiting them.
7. How good has Tomlinson looked. Does he have "stud" potential or just "starter" potential.?
You have to remember something: in all likelihood, there is going to be a new defensive coordinator here next year. While you can carry over some things from this year, what we need to see is how he’s deployed in the new system, e.g. is he asked to rush the passer or is he an occasional pass rusher? And we won’t really know that until the spring. With all that said, I want to see Tomlinson get stronger to where he can better shed blocks and dart into the backfield, so the jury is still out in my eyes about his pass rushing ability.
8. The reports here suggest that Thompson (F.S.) has been a disappointment. Does the internal grading system confirm that or does real game experience mean we have a decent starter there for next year?
We don’t get access to internal player grades (unless a player shares that, which many of them do not). Thompson, to my eyes at least, hasn’t been the ballhawk playmaker I think everyone thought he might be. Whether that’s a result of his surgically repaired foot, which is something I had a concern with way back at the start of training camp, still being an issue or something else, I don’t know, but I do believe that next year he’ll have to amp up his showing if he’s to hold on to the starting job moving forward.
9. It seems to me that JM and ST would want to at least interview all GM candidates whose teams are not going into the playoffs. When can they interview candidates whose teams are in the playoffs?
I believe once the season ends they can reach out to other candidate employed by another team—and only if the other teams grant them permission. For instance, I doubt Eliot Wolf, who signed a new contract with the Packers earlier this year, is going to be granted permission. Same with the guy down in Baltimore, who’s widely regarded as the heir to Ozzie Newsome.
For the record, I’d be surprised if the Giants interview many more people for the GM job. This is just my gut feeling, but I think they could have the new GM in place next week. Doing so would make sense on so many levels. But we’ll see how things go.
I don’t think Eli ever said he’d waive the no-trade clause; in fact, just the opposite. I also don’t think the Giants desire to trade him contrary to what you might be reading elsewhere so I really haven’t given thought as to what he might being in return if he were to be traded. It would depend on the team, where they are drafting, etc.
2. Just curious Pat... Seeing how the fans are not coming to home games or selling their tickets, does the amount of media covering the team decline too? Is the post-game locker room much less crowded with reporters like yourself due to our poor season?
At the beginning of the year, I used to bemoan how crowded (and noisy) the Giants press room got, particularly with all the TV people that showed up. Now not so much so as with the Jets making a season out of it, and with Odell Beckham Jr. on injured reserve, it hasn’t been as bad during the week.
As for gamedays, I can remember just one instance—a playoff game in 2011—when the MetLife Stadium press box was filled to capacity. I will tell you this Not everyone in the press box is a reporter. There are scouts, league officials, the visiting team’s PR staff, the home team’s staff, and other gameday personnel who get a seat in the press box. there are others who get seats in the booths that are part of the press box as well—broadcast teams, owners, etc. And the photographers and camera folks are part of the press contingency that shows up in the locker room, but you don’t usually see them until after the game.
What I’m saying is it’s hard to answer this question because there are so many variables.
3. What is the atmosphere in the locker room?
Good, believe it or not. Hate to say this, but I’ve thought ever since McAdoo was fired, the atmosphere has improved if just a bit. The players seem to enjoy playing for Spags, so there’s that in a lost season. No one is happy with the losing, mind you, but I don’t’ sense that players are walking around like zombies which might have been the case earlier in the year.
4. Do any of the backup offensive linemen show promise?
If you consider Brett Jones and DJ Fluker as backups since they weren’t starters at the beginning of the year, yeah, those guys showed promise and I can see them perhaps starting next year. I’ve also heard positive things about Chad Wheeler, though the knock on him is he has to get stronger, which I think he will.
The wild card here is with a new coaching staff coming in, we really don’t know what they’re going to be asked to do so while they might look good/bad in this current system, who’s to say it won’t change? My gut feeling though is they’ll redo some of the backup depth on that unit.
5. Are any back up players truly taking advantage of the opportunity to be playing.
Wayne Gallman comes to mind. I have a story coming out on him, actually—super nice kid and someone who I predicted (correctly) the Giants would draft in the fourth round after getting a tip from UKGiantsFan to look at his tape.
Otherwise, I can see the effort in the young players but let’s not confuse effort with talent. There are guys who try so dang hard, but who don’t have the talent level necessary to be on an NFL roster (which is why they were scooped off the waiver wire). But again, I have no issues with the effort.
6. Have many players "mailed it in " and are just going through the motions waiting for the new regime? We are limited to what tv cameras show us but looks like JPP and Vernon are avoiding contact and going at 50%.
Both Pierre-Paul and Vernon are banged up—I honestly don’t know how they even make it out there each week. Vernon has been dealing with some clear issues beyond his ankle that have robbed him of some of his skill set. And you can’t tell me his high ankle sprain from earlier in the year is 100 percent because I won’t believe it. So I think you have to factor that into the equation. Same with Pierre-Paul—knee, hand, and who knows what else he’s got going on. So no, I do not believe either of those guys are mailing it in. I think their respective injuries are limiting them.
7. How good has Tomlinson looked. Does he have "stud" potential or just "starter" potential.?
You have to remember something: in all likelihood, there is going to be a new defensive coordinator here next year. While you can carry over some things from this year, what we need to see is how he’s deployed in the new system, e.g. is he asked to rush the passer or is he an occasional pass rusher? And we won’t really know that until the spring. With all that said, I want to see Tomlinson get stronger to where he can better shed blocks and dart into the backfield, so the jury is still out in my eyes about his pass rushing ability.
8. The reports here suggest that Thompson (F.S.) has been a disappointment. Does the internal grading system confirm that or does real game experience mean we have a decent starter there for next year?
We don’t get access to internal player grades (unless a player shares that, which many of them do not). Thompson, to my eyes at least, hasn’t been the ballhawk playmaker I think everyone thought he might be. Whether that’s a result of his surgically repaired foot, which is something I had a concern with way back at the start of training camp, still being an issue or something else, I don’t know, but I do believe that next year he’ll have to amp up his showing if he’s to hold on to the starting job moving forward.
9. It seems to me that JM and ST would want to at least interview all GM candidates whose teams are not going into the playoffs. When can they interview candidates whose teams are in the playoffs?
I believe once the season ends they can reach out to other candidate employed by another team—and only if the other teams grant them permission. For instance, I doubt Eliot Wolf, who signed a new contract with the Packers earlier this year, is going to be granted permission. Same with the guy down in Baltimore, who’s widely regarded as the heir to Ozzie Newsome.
For the record, I’d be surprised if the Giants interview many more people for the GM job. This is just my gut feeling, but I think they could have the new GM in place next week. Doing so would make sense on so many levels. But we’ll see how things go.